An Unspoken Reunion
In an unexpected situation, I couldn’t pull myself together. …Why?
Why was Julia here at this hour? It was a scenario I couldn’t have imagined even in my dreams. Because of that, I couldn’t find any words and simply stood there in a daze.
“…….”
“…….”
Julia, too, remained silent, simply staring at me with quiet intensity.
…Now that I think about it.
Only then did I register that Julia had asked me a question.
“…What are you doing?”
She had definitely said that. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, then forced my mouth open with difficulty.
“…Saintess… may I ask what you are doing here…?”
Using polite speech with Julia felt incredibly awkward, but I had no choice. Right now I was not Gunter—I was Kyle.
At the same time, I was worried. Answering a question with another question was hardly good conversational etiquette, and there was always the chance it might offend her.
However.
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“…I felt magic power.”
She had given me a proper answer, even if it was brief.
“……!!”
This was the first time I had properly heard the grown Julia’s voice, so I should have felt moved, but I had no room for sentiment. The content was simply too shocking.
She… felt that…?
Her words were short, but the fact that she had come all the way here made it easy to guess what she meant by “magic power.” She was referring to the energy that had surged from the lake. More precisely, the violent power released during the battle between Elion’s group and the knights.
That in itself wasn’t strange. The lake constantly emitted its own magic, which would make precise detection difficult, but anyone with decent skill could sense the turbulent power mixed within it.
The real problem was the distance.
“Were you… somewhere nearby…?”
I asked again, half hoping she would deny it. Julia shook her head.
“…Dormitory.”
“……!!”
I was stunned. The answer was impossible.
I knew where Julia’s dormitory was located. I hadn’t investigated it on purpose; her presence drew so much attention that the information had simply spread naturally throughout the Academy.
Regardless, the true issue was the distance between her dormitory and the lake. The two locations were easily dozens of minutes apart on foot.
Yet Julia was claiming she had sensed the foreign magic power from the lake across that entire span.
It was absurd.
To detect magic power, the event had to occur within the range of one’s senses. Spreading one’s awareness consciously could expand that range, but even then there were limits. For an ordinary distance, perhaps, but sensing an anomaly within the lake’s chaotic energy from the dormitory? Even I wasn’t confident I could do it. In fact, most people would find it impossible.
If I had to compare it to something, it would be like hearing a needle drop from two hundred meters away.
It’s not like she’s lying…
Julia wasn’t the type to lie, and she had no reason to fabricate such a story. Therefore, her words were almost certainly true. She really had felt the flow of magic power from her dormitory and come here.
A chill ran down my spine at the realization.
“…There were a few minor incidents near the lake.”
I gave a vague explanation. I wasn’t exactly lying—if I did, she would see through it immediately. So I simply blurred the details.
“…….”
Julia glanced toward the lake behind me, then turned her gaze back. The endlessly calm golden waters filled my vision. Under that stare, I felt an inexplicable pressure. Of course I did. I was fully aware that I was running from her.
…Should I tell her?
Her sudden appearance had startled me, but on second thought, this was an opportunity. Julia was a Saintess. She drew every eye within the Academy and always had priests hovering nearby. Approaching her under normal circumstances was difficult; being alone with her was nearly impossible.
Yet here was a chance. I couldn’t let it slip away.
Thump. Thump.
My heartbeat sounded ridiculously loud in my ears as I struggled to open my mouth.
And then—
“…….”
In the end, no words came out. Even now, I lacked the courage to speak. I nearly laughed at my own stupidity and cowardice.
Still, I couldn’t keep condemning myself forever. I had to say something.
From Julia’s perspective, I was utterly suspicious. Being here at this late hour, at a place where strange magic power had just flared—it was enough to raise questions. I hadn’t done anything overtly wrong, but if she took an interest and started digging, it would become troublesome.
So I needed to redirect her attention.
What could I say that would naturally shift her focus?
The pressure kept tightening, and in the end I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“…Saintess, are you happy right now?”
The moment I registered what I had said, I instinctively closed my eyes.
…Ah.
What a completely contextless question. If I were in her position, I would have looked at the speaker like he was crazy. Asking someone if they’re happy the first time you meet them was the kind of thing only cult recruiters or shady salesmen did.
Still, I understood why the question had slipped out. It must have been weighing on me. The way Julia had looked earlier that day. Even though she had become a Saintess everyone admired, she hadn’t seemed happy at all.
But understanding the context myself and having her accept the question were two entirely different matters.
…It’s over.
I had messed up the very first step. I let out a silent sigh.
“…….”
Julia simply stared at me without answering. It was only natural. Even I would have reacted the same way. The question was ridiculous.
Her emotions were still impossible to read, but I was certain my impression on her was not positive. As I quietly despaired—
“…No.”
Against all expectation, Julia answered.
“……!”
My eyes flew open. I never thought she would actually respond to such a nonsensical question. Especially not Julia.
But what caught my attention even more was the content of her reply.
She had answered “no” to the question of whether she was happy. That meant she was not happy.
If she had said she didn’t know, I would have understood. Very few people could say with certainty that they were happy. But Julia had answered clearly. No.
Before I could fully process it—
“…Probably not.”
She continued.
At that—
“…Why?”
My mouth moved on its own.
“Why… aren’t you happy?”
The words came from genuine worry. Had something bad happened? Was she carrying some burden? Or was the Goddess Church mistreating her?
All kinds of worries flooded my mind.
She was a Saintess. The Goddess’s representative. Logically, the Church would never neglect her. On the contrary, they would bend over backward to accommodate her and pour every resource into her care.
If she wished, she could taste every delicacy in the world. Anything she desired could be hers. The Church possessed that much power, and a Saintess naturally enjoyed such privileges.
So why did Julia say she wasn’t happy? Why did she think that way?
After a brief pause, Julia answered.
“…What should be there… isn’t.”
“What should be… there…?”
It was a strange way to phrase it.
“Couldn’t the Church… obtain it for you?”
The Church could procure anything. If she simply asked, they would deliver it without delay.
However.
Julia gave a small shake of her head. A shade of sadness colored her golden eyes.
“…It’s gone now.”
“……!!”
Those few words told me everything.
She was looking for me.
…Or perhaps it was only my delusion, my wishful thinking. The hope that she was searching for me. That she hadn’t forgotten my existence. A selfish assumption born from that desire.
But looking into those eyes, I made up my mind.
…I’ll tell her.
I would reveal my identity. That I was the Gunter she knew. That I had been reborn by possessing another body.
Even if what she sought wasn’t me, it didn’t matter. I simply couldn’t bear to see her sad.
If there was even the slightest chance—if there was any possibility that I could erase that sorrow—it would be enough.
So.
I opened my mouth and—
“…….”
No words came out.
It wasn’t that fear had gripped me at the last second. My voice simply wouldn’t emerge. No—my entire body refused to obey. No matter how hard I struggled, my mouth and limbs would not move as I wished. As if someone had forbidden it.
Don’t tell me…!
A single possibility flashed through my mind, and I tested it. This time I tried to say something completely unrelated to my identity.
My body moved freely.
But the moment I attempted to reveal who I was again, my body froze once more.
…Ha.
I finally understood what was happening.
A prohibition had been placed on my body. I didn’t know exactly how it functioned, but one thing was certain.
It was preventing me from revealing my identity.
I could not speak the truth with my own mouth. Someone had cast a curse on me to ensure I never could.
I had a very good idea who that “someone” was.
The bastard who put me in this body.
And most likely the one who had summoned me into this world in the first place.
Fucking son of a bitch…
Rage boiled up inside me. If that bastard were standing in front of me right now, I would beat him senseless.
But I couldn’t. I didn’t know who he was or where he was hiding.
In the end, there was nothing the current me could do. I could neither break the prohibition nor punish the mastermind behind it.
…No. That wasn’t what I truly wanted right now.
What I desperately wanted was to comfort Julia. To soothe the sadness radiating from her.
What should I say? What words could ease her pain?
I kept thinking, but deep down I already knew the answer.
The current me could not comfort her.
I couldn’t stroke her hair or pull her into my arms like I once had. Because right now I was not Gunter—I was Kyle.
That truth filled me with resentment and sorrow. As I stewed in anger and helplessness—
“…….”
Suddenly Julia tilted her head while looking at me. Then—
“…Name.”
“…Yes?”
“…What’s your name?”
She asked for my name out of nowhere.
Caught off guard, I opened my mouth to answer. Part of me wanted to say “Gunter,” but of course that was impossible.
In the end, I could only reply—
“…Kyle. I am Kyle Berwen.”